Gov-Appointed State Superintendent Bill Fails

A bill that missed two-thirds approval by just four votes last week in Cheyenne would have changed the role of State Superintendent of Public Instruction from an elected position to one appointed by the governor.

Currently held by Superintendent Cindy Hill, the position has always been an elected one. The change would have given the Governor Matt Mead more power over the state's K-12 education system. Berger says that the issue probably deserves more discussion.

Hill said that the bill was a response by some opponents of her decisions while in office, but legislators denied that citing the fact that she would be allowed to finish her term had the amendment passed. One of her moves that stirred up some controversy recently was her proposal to change all state ed. employees to at-will, meaning they could be fired at any time without a given reason. The change was denied by Mead.